My MP3 Player Odyssey hits a bump

Ok, so I had posted before that I'm ruling out the new iPod Touch and Nano as replacements for my now officially "crappified"4G iPod 20GB. In that same post, I said I intended to purchase the Creative Zen since it offers more features at the same or lower prices to the iPods (FM tuner, expandabale SD memory card slot).

Well, that plan hit a bump when I stumbled across this review of the Zen on a site called anythingbutipod.com. This guy has reviewed most MP3 players made by any company other than Apple, and seems to know his stuff really well. On his review of the Creative Zen, he noted a major flaw - that the Zen's SD memory expansion slot has been crippled so that it provides minmal functionality/real world usage.

So instead, the writer suggest that one look at the Cowon D2 player (pictured above), which I'd never heard of. After reading the review, then checking CNET's thumb's up review, and finally checking out the features and price points, I'm impressed. It's quite compact, has a touch screen interface, SD expansion slot (that actually works), and good product support. Too bad it's not available in the at any mass retailers so I can try it out myself before buying - so I may have to buy it from an online etailer with a liberal return policy in case it doesn't meet my expectations.

I'm also now reconsidering it the iRiver Clix2 player (above). I had heard about this great player back in January when it was announced, and the 8GB just started shipping a couple weeks ago. However, I had ruled it out since it didn't have any memory expansion. But since the reviews on CNET and anythingbutipod rated it so highly, it's back in the running again.

Another, though less likely, option is the new Zune 2 from Microsoft. These players are bigger than I prefer, but I like the usability and feature improvements that Microsoft has made from the first generation that launched nearly a year ago. While I generally don't pull for Microsoft - they're doing quite well in case you haven't heard - they are one of the first MP3 player manufacturers to upgrade prior models with new features that will be on upcoming models. I'm not referring to firmware updates, but a major system upgrade that adds significant new features. In particular, the Zunes offer wireless synchronization, so you can recharge the Zune without wires. Sweet stuff, and I really wish Apple would take note of this instead of forcing existing customers to upgrade when new features come out on new models. Microsoft is also improving their Zune online portal to give iTunes a run for it's money. The new flash memory Zune 2 will ship in mid-November. It's a long-shot, but I'm keeping my eye on it.

So maybe I'll just wait a little longer...

uuugggghhhhh.